We left Vanadzor to go to Gumri in order to visit the work carried out by SPFA (Protestant Solidarity France-Armenia) in this town.

The town of Gumri was entirely devastated in 1988 due to an earthquake (6.9 on the Richter scale) that killed about 30 000 people and injured more than 15 000 people. Beforehand, the town had 250 000 inhabitants and was an important industrial centre for Armenia; its textile industrial complex was number three in the USSR. Today, there are 130 000 inhabitants and the economical activity has slowed down.

After the earthquake, each republic of the USSR contributed to the reconstruction of the town, area by area. Gagik Papikian, called Gagou, the engineer for SPFA, led us to the reservoir of Gumri to show us an installation done by the association. We could see in the distance the areas of Mouch 1 and Mouch 2 where ghost buildings stand in the middle of ripped fields.
After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the renovation work stopped suddenly. And the Mouch districts, which were then being renovated, were left unfinished. Furthermore, all the arable earth was brought elsewhere during the excavation work. As a result, the area is not even suitable for agriculture.

        Mouch districts

After the visit to the reservoir, Kagou drove us outside the town, in the direction of the Turkish border. We left the road to follow a dirt track that vanished in the middle of rubble. We drove to an old quarry where the debris of the buildings were disposed of after the earthquake. At a twist of the road, we could see in the distance a typical Armenian church tower. This was a surprise from Kagou, who mixed business with pleasure by bringing us sightseeing. We arrived at the Monastery of Marmashen. It is more than a thousand years old (its construction started in 986 A.D.). Beside the church, a river flows out in the middle of steep gorges. The peaceful atmosphere of the location made us take a deep breath. What a contrast to the sinister atmosphere in the quarry! It is like a pearl in its casing.

        The Monastery in Marmashen

We returned to SPFA by going through the city centre. Kagou explained to us that before there were 15 to 20 storey buildings standing there…now, there are none left. The old Gumri is partially renovated but there is still a lot to be done and the building carries on. Beside churches, knocked down church towers are kept as a reminder of the tremendous impact of the earthquake.

We were going to Gumri in order to visit projects led by the SPFA. The earthquake of 1988 was for us a piece of information that was at first just a number. Through our visits and conversations with the members of the association (despite their great modesty), we understand better the extent of the disaster.
During the last 20 years, the town also had to face the fall of the Soviet Union then the war against Azerbaijan. Men and women with goodwill fight to lift the town up again. And gradually, hope is revived thanks to their energy and perseverance. 

François
(Translation: Yolène Dabreteau)